LOS ANGELES — Bernie Sanders claimed the political establishment was conspiring to “derail” his campaign, a stark message to supporters delivered in a fundraising plea Tuesday evening.
In an email titled “We need a lot of donations today,” the socialist Vermont senator, 78, called out former Vice President Joe Biden by name.
“The political establishment has chosen their candidate. It’s Joe Biden,” the email reads. “And they’re lining up behind him in an effort to derail our momentum in this race.”
The latest email shows the escalating rhetoric by the Sanders campaign against Biden, 77, who has shaped up to be its chief competitor for the Democratic nomination.
Sanders and his supporters have long nursed a grudge against party institutions, such as the Democratic National Committee, after Hillary Clinton’s 2016 victory over him in the primaries. The DNC that year became a frequent Sanders target over complaints it was tilting rules in Clinton’s favor.
Earlier in the day, the Sanders campaign released a memo outlining its battle plan against Biden going forward.
“However, with Biden bankrolled by a super PAC and boosted by billionaire donors, the primary is far from over. We are now entering the phase of the primary in which the differences between Bernie and Biden will take center stage,” the memo, authored by Sanders campaign manager Faiz Shakir and senior aide Jeff Weaver reads. “These differences make clear that the choice between these two candidates is stark — it is a choice between the party’s core economic and social justice agenda, and the Washington establishment’s agenda that aims to protect and enrich the wealthy and well-connected. The differences also spotlight how Bernie’s agenda is a far more popular general election agenda than Biden’s.”
